🇨🇳 China

• 🏯Who Built the Great Wall of China?

  The most massive symbol of Chinese culture hasn’t always taken the same route, or served the same purpose—and no single person can take the credit.

• ⚛️What Countries Have Nuclear Weapons?

  The first five nations to build atomic bombs became part of the 'Nuclear Club'; others have since gained weapons, despite global treaties.

• 🍦Who Invented Ice Cream?

  From ancient China to American tables, uncover the frosty journey of history's favorite frozen delight.

• 🚂The Chinese Immigrants Who Built America

  The heroes of the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

• 🔗Writers and Intellectuals Under Threat

  A New Toolkit for Activists Fighting to Document Repression and Protect Free Expression

• 🀄Cross-Training to Understand Confucian Culture

  A multidisciplinary investigation of ‘How China Became Chinese.’

• 🀄Seven Things You May Not Know About the Ming Dynasty

  “Zijin Cheng,” means “Purple Forbidden City,” a colorful reference not to the city’s walls but to the night sky.

• 🚲Forever Bicycles, by Ai Weiwei

  An exploration of Ai Weiwei's powerful exhibition "Absent," highlighting his impactful work featuring 1200 bicycles.

• 🌾Terraced Rice Field, Yunnan, China, photo by Thierry Bornier

  A captivating fusion of cultivation and topography is beautifully showcased in the terraced rice fields of Yunnan, China.

• 👧🏽🎉Play more

  IKEA's PlayReport highlights that kids prefer playing with family and friends over screen time, while parents have a different viewpoint on the purpose of play.

• 🎶A graphical analysis of national anthem lyrics

  My quest to learn "La Marseillaise" led me to explore the curious and often violent lyrics of national anthems from around the world.

• 🍂Agate snuff bottle, China, 19th century

  Reflecting on the intriguing history and artistry of antique Chinese snuff bottles.

• 📞You had me at 'hello'

  An exploration of how the word "hello" transcended technology and culture through the evolution of telephonic communication.

• 🍈Forbidden fruits, delightful longings

  A longing for the elusive mangosteen explores its history and the bittersweet nature of desire.

• 📦Shaolin monks rehearsing, photo by Wong Maye-E

  Inside wooden boxes, Shaolin monks rehearse a unique dance, showcasing their art at the Singapore Arts Festival.

• 🌐Babel undone

  The transformative journey of a biblical story through many languages.

• 🌐Babel bubbles

  An exploration of linguistic expressions for incomprehensibility across different cultures, inspired by a question about the varying equivalents of "it's Greek to me."

• 🌍Global Street Food installation, by Mike Meiré

  A glimpse into the diverse world of street food vendor setups captured by Mike Meiré, highlighting their cultural significance and the absence of the vendors themselves.

• 👑Every man a king

  Wu Tingfang shares a compelling perspective on the title of the American president, advocating for a change to "Emperor" to elevate the position and reflect its true significance.

• 🎤Hair Salon, Lhasa, Tibet, by Adam Dean

  A captivating look at the life of a KTV hostess preparing for a night shift in Lhasa, China, where entertainment often masks deeper societal issues.

• 🍚Eating and absorbing a technological tradition

  This excerpt from Francesca Bray highlights how cultural objects and practices can embody profound meanings through the technologies involved in their production, particularly in the context of Japan's agricultural traditions.

• 🌄Viewing the City’s Places of Interest in Springtime, by Yao Lu

  Yao Lu's striking photography intertwines art and environmental commentary, highlighting the ecological shifts in China.

• 🌏Spanish Catholic schoolgirl crushes

  In a reflection on the evolution of travel writing, Rolf Potts discusses the complexities of globalization and the shifting narratives in contemporary travel stories.

• 🥠Fortune cookies come to China

  A surprising exploration of fortune cookies, their origins, and the cultural misconceptions surrounding them.

• 🌲A pleasant nonplace

  An exploration of finding peace in an unremarkable life amidst turbulent times.

• 🌲My pleasant uninteresting place

  In the reflections on a tranquil life, Walker Percy captures the essence of his surroundings in Covington.

• 🤸Children practicing gymnastics, by Qiu Yan

  Exploring the new culture that emerges as children train for the Olympics in China.

• 🕊️The wonder (and scandal) of conversion

  An exploration of the complex nature of conversion and identity, illustrated through Jennie Baker's experience with Orthodoxy in England.

• 🎻Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble

  Reflecting on the cultural tapestry of the Silk Road, here's a remarkable in-studio performance by Yo-Yo Ma and his ensemble from 2005.

• 🦋The Butterfly Effect effect

  A nice parable of unintended consequences.

• 🗺️A star in the East- The enduring myth of Prester John

  The legend of Prester John serves as a lens through which we examine medieval European dreams of Christian power in distant lands.